Tom Morello Offers Praise for Fidel Castro

Paul R. Giunta/Getty ImagesTom Morello believes people need to be open-minded about the legacy of late Cuban leader Fidel Castro, who died Friday at the age of 90.

In a lengthy post on his Instagram account, the former Rage Against the Machine member says, "While I don't agree with all that Fidel Castro did there is ample reason why he is vilified in the US and yet remains a huge hero throughout the Third World."

Morello, who staged a free 2005 concert in Havana with his band Audioslave, explains, "By defying Yankee imperialism for 50 years, instituting the best healthcare, child immunization and literacy systems in the Western Hemisphere… exporting doctors to countries in need all over the globe… and being an unrepentant advocate of the poor and exploited it is no surprise that millions will mourn (Castro’s) passing."

Regarding the 2005 concert, Morello says, "That experience will be one I will always treasure, especially the trip we took to a former country club of the wealthy that had been turned into a free college for gifted musicians."

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